AN EIGHT-foot-tall sandstone statue honouring Dunbar’s fishing heritage could be created near the town’s harbour.

Dunbar Shore and Harbour Neighbourhood Group has lodged plans for a monument called The Creel Loaders to be created on a small triangle of land at the junction of Victoria Street and Castle Gate.

The proposals are currently being considered by East Lothian Council’s planning officials.

At the height of the herring trade, women carried fish for sale from Dunbar to Lauder in wicker creels on their backs.

At that time, it was common for two people to help the creel into position.

Kevin Heffernan, Ian Dane and Brian Cox have been leading the project for the neighbourhood group.

Mr Heffernan told the Courier: “The harbours are such an important part of Dunbar, yet is it surprising how often people miss them. “We wanted to create a marker that would be seen from High Street that would entice people to walk down towards the sea.

“We plan to have waymarkers built into the landscaped paving around the Creel Loaders that will tell people which route to take to get to the fishing boats.” The shore and neighbourhood group has been looking to develop the site since a red telephone box was removed two years ago.

Last year, locals and selected artists were invited to submit their ideas.

Public consultation took place during the 2013 Civic Week and the preferred option identified was for a figurative sculpture in stone, which would tell some of the story of fishing in the town.

Potential costings for the statue – which could be in place by the end of the year, if the blueprints get the go-ahead – are currently out to tender.

Similarly, applications for external funding are currently being prepared.

The task of creating the statue has been given to Cockenzie-based artist and mason Gardner Molloy.